SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will look to extend their three-game win streak this week as the team hosts the Ferris State Bulldogs on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium. The Lakers will play their second Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) game of the week on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 3:00 p.m. as the team takes on the Northwood University Timberwolves at the Riepma Arena in Midland, Mich.
Last Time Out
The Lakers are coming off a pair of big conference wins last weekend, defeating the Grand Valley State Lakers and the Davenport Panthers on home court. Heading into this week's games, the Lakers have totaled a 13-7 overall record and a 8-6 mark in GLIAC competition.
The Lakers opened the pair of games with an exciting 75-72 win over Grand Valley State on Thursday, Feb. 3 as head coach Steve Hettinga recorded his 250th career win at Lake Superior State. Bassett finished the game with a team-leading 22 points in the win as he went 7-for-14 from the field which included a pair of threes. Bassett also added seven rebounds, which was tied for the team-lead, as well as three assists, two steals, and two blocks. Adams followed with 21 points for the Lakers which included 12 of 14 free throws. Adams also added seven rebounds.
In Saturday's game against the Panthers, the Lakers earned their third straight win by a final score of 97-86. Adams finished the game with 32 points in the win as the senior went 9-for-17 from the field, which included a team-leading five three pointers. Adams also mde nine of the 10 free throw attempts he took in the game. C.J. Robinson posted a single-game career-high 19 points in the win as he went 5-for-8 from the field for the Lakers and scored on seven of his nine free throw attempts. Kingsley Perkins and Justin Fischer rounded out the team's top three scorers as each posted 10 points in the win.
The Lakers
The Lakers are led by Steve Hettinga, the all-time winningest coach in Laker Basketball history, who enters his 15th season in the role. Hettinga reached the milestone of 250 wins at LSSU in the team's 75-72 win over Grand Valley on Feb. 3. Assistant coach Ted Stowe returns for his fifth season in the role on Hettinga's staff while assistant coach Hugh Clarke joins the staff for his first season. Through 20 games this season, the Lakers have averaged 78.6 points per game, which ranks third in the GLIAC, on a 45.9 shooting percentage and 32.4 rebounds per game.
Lake Superior State will be led by a strong senior class which includes returners Kemon Bassett, Malek Adams, C.J. Robinson, David Wren, Justin Fischer and transfer Caden Ebeling, who joins the Lakers after a solid career at Albion College. Hettinga will look to this group's leadership on-and-off the court this season. Bassett, who was recently named to the All-GLIAC North Preseason Team.
For their play during the 2020-21 season, junior forward Kemon Bassett was named First Team All-GLIAC, redshirt senior guard Malek Adams was named Second Team All-GLIAC and junior guard C.J. Robinson was named to the All-GLIAC Defensive Team.
Lake Superior State will also be returning a junior class of Dan Few and Xander Okerlund as well as sophomores Blake Cassidy and Andy Soma.
Hettinga's squad will welcome a large freshman class this season with seven student-athletes joining the Lakers. The freshman class includes three players from Ann Arbor Huron High School (Tyson Edmondson, Kingsley Perkins and Devin Womack) who will look to build on their chemistry and success from their high school careers at the collegiate level. The remaining first-year players include Drew Hess, a 6-2 guard from Oscoda, Mich., Ben Patrick, a 6-2 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., Kendall Smith, a 6-8 forward from Muskegon, Mich., and Hunter Soper, a 6-6 forward/guard from Lexington, Mich.
Leading the Lakers
Through 20 games of the 2021-22 season, four Lakers have averaged double-digit point per game totals. Adams leads the team with 19.2 points per game which is second-best in the conference. Adams is tied for seventh in the conference in assists per game this season (3.8) and is first in the GLIAC in steals per game with 1.9. Ebeling follows with 14.8 points per game while Bassett ranks third among his teammates in points per game with 14.3 in 12 games played this season. Bassett ranks 12th among his conference peers in points per game and is tied for seventh place in assists per game (3.8). Bassett also ranks in the top-five players in blocks per game (1.3) in the GLIAC this season. Xander Okerlund (10.0 ppg) rounds out the team's double-digit scorers.
Justin Fischer, who averages 8.6 points per game this season, has totaled a 56.0 shooting percentage which is eighth-best in the GLIAC. Fischer also leads the team in rebounds (5.3) and assists (4.7) per game this season. His 4.7 assists per game ranks second in the GLIAC. Edmondson is tied for the conference-lead in three-point shooting percentage this season with a 48.4 mark.
The Ferris State Bulldogs
The Ferris State Bulldogs have totaled an 18-4 overall record through 22 games this season and hold a 13-1 mark in conference play. Most recently, the Bulldogs dropped their first conference game of the season by a final score of 75-73 to the Davenport Panthers. Earlier this season, the Bulldogs defeated the Lakers by a final score of 95-80 in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs rank first in all of the major statistical categories in the GLIAC this season including points per game (89.2), shooting percentage (49.5%), three-point percentage (41.2%), and rebounds per game (40.8). The Bulldogs have four more players who are averaging double-digit point totals: Dorian Aluyi (13.1), Ben Davidson (12.5), Lee Higgins (10.8) and Logan Ryan (10.6). Ryan's 67.6 shooting percentage leads the GLIAC this season while Higgins is tied for the conference-lead in three-point percentage. Aluyi, a senior guard, leads his teammates in rebounds per game with 7.8 this season, which is good for fourth in the conference. Ferris State is coached by Andy Bronkema, who is in his ninth season in the role for the Bulldogs.
The Northwood Timberwolves
The Northwood Timberwolves have combined for a 4-14 overall record this season through 18 games played, which includes a 2-9 record in GLIAC competition. Through 18 games this season, Northwood averages 68.9 points per game on a 43.4 shooting percentage while adding 33.7 rebounds per game. Earlier this season, the Timberwolves dropped a game to the Lakers by a final score of 78-53. The Timberwolves are led by senior guard Jack Ammerman who enters the weekend ranking fifth in the conference with 16.9 points per game. Ammerman's 43.0 shooting percentage from three is eighth-best in the GLIAC this season. Senior guard Trevor Davis (12.0 ppg), sophomore forward DeSean Munson (11.5 ppg), and sophomore guard Maurion Scott (11.3 ppg) round out the Timberwolves double-digit point scorers this season. Munson leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game which is fifth among all conference players. Northwood is led by head coach Lonnie Griffin, who is in his second season as head coach of the Timberwolves.
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